Continuous wire-drawing machine



Juny E923. i LST@ J. A. HORTON 'CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed' oct. 25 ,v 1921' 5 sheets-sheet 1 .my 3, w23. www@ J. A. HORTON CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 my 3,1923. www@ J. A. HORTON CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25 1921 5 SheelZS-SheeiI 5 .Eully 3, B923.

J. A. Hom-0N CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 x .Fully 3, 1923.

J. A. HORTON.

CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 25

palmi lilla 3,' taza;H

IA-MES A. BURTON, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTNUOUS WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE.

Application led October 25, 19211. Serial No. 510,291.

To allfwltomt may cof/wem: i

Be it known that I, JAMns A. Hon'roN, a

' citinen of the United States, residing( atl down in a continuous operation by a seriesv of passes through wire drawing dies. of successively smaller diameter,- being drawn through the dies b drums about which the wire is wrapped. he course of the wire is, in principle, thiisz-ll't passes through the rst die, then around the irst drawing drum in as many wraps as is necessary to apply the required drawing ull, then through the second die andl aroun thesecond drawing drum, and so on through as many dies and around as many drums as vthe machine may be' provided with, until finally it passes through the last die and is wound up on the inal drum, which usually is also a receiver for a' substantial length of wire, and is called the finishing drum. Before being drawn the "wire, or rod to be made into wire, .is irst coated with a suitable lubricating inaterial, in order to permit it to pass smoothly and evenly through the die without sticking, This coating, unlessit be rubbed 0H bysome other cause than4 contact of the wire withI 35, the dies, remains on the wire throughout the entire course of the drawing operation, be-

ing elongated with the wire but preserving its continuity and enabling the wire to be drawn through the entire series of dies and 40 .to be reduced in diameter in the re uired degree, without need of renewal. ut if the ,coating be removed at any stage, it causes the 'wire to stick in the following die or dies and to be roughenedlor perhaps broken; at

any rate it prevents the wire being drawn uniformly to theirequired gauge and with truel cross section. v

In th'e operation of continuous wire drawing-machines as heretofore made, there hasbeen some slip of the )wire on one or more of the drums. It has not been found possi'- bleto design positive driving gearing which will'driveaH ofthe drums at their respectively correct ,speeds to take up the wire as son for this fact is Vpossible because the coating on the wire fast as it is delivered b the preceding drum plus the elongation o the wire in passing through the precedin die. The main reatgl'iat unavoidable wear on the dies in the course of the drawing op eration enlarges the holes which determine the gauge of the wire and therefore diminish its elongation, so that even if the driving mechanism is properly. proportioned when thevdies are all of the exactly correct size the Speeder the drums becomes too rap1 $5 after some wear of the dies has occurred.v Other conditions, such as varying hardness and ductility of the wire may cause variations in the rate"at which. the wire passes to a certain drum 'of the series, and/if the wire 70. is not taken up fast enough by that drum, then enoughl` tension will not be maintained on the next preceding drum andshpping of the wire on the/latter drum will occur.

drum isdriven at K5 And also if the following faster than the drum,

a speed to take up the wire rate oi delivery from the preceding plus the elongation at the die, then the wire will be broken. v Consequently it has been the custom of @o makers4 of" continuous wire drawing ina chines to provide for slippin of the wire on all of the drums except the nal or tini'shing drum. Slippin on that drum is imnished wire is accumu- 55 lated on it. ,This e'eet is usually accomplished by making the speed of the iinishing drum a certain amount less than the speed which appearsfby calculation as correct when the dies are l of the correct size and the wire of uniform ductility. The reduction from such calculated lspeed is enough to taire care of all accumulated variations in the elongation of the wire, -but 1as `it is less than enough to take the entire 95 elongation of the wire plus theA rate of delivery due to the speed of the preceding drums, the tension of the wire wrap around the preceding drums is relaxe and one or more of such drums necessarily slips. The vslipping of the drums chates.' the wire and removes the coating at thatsideo the wire which rubs against the drum, with the bad eiects previously noted.I

It is my object to draw wire .without slipl on any drum, and thus to preserve' intact the in its entire course through the machine. This object is acconui` plished by providing means whereby the stress `in the wire passing to a given drum regulates the speed of that drum. Other objects contributing lto the one above stated appear from the following description of machines embodying certain practica-l forms ofl the invention. The invention consists in the principles embodied in said machines and in the means (and all substantial equivalents of such `means) here'illustrated and described in detail.

In the drawings,- Y

Figure 1 is a' front elevation partly broken away of one form of machine embodying the invention. I

Figure 2l is a plan view partly broken away of the same machine.

'Figure 3 is av .vertical cross section taken on a plane through the axis of the drums.

Figure 4 is a cross. section on' an enlarged scale taken lon line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating a detail of mechanism. i Figure'5 is an elevation showing yon an enlarged scale one form of mechanism for controlling the speed of a drum by the tension of the wire passing to Such drum.

Figure 6 is a plan view, further enlarged, of a wedge member which forms a part of the mechanism shown in Figure 5.

.Figure "7 is an elevation of said wedge r member.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing in radial section 'a part of one of the friction power transmitting disks.

Figure 9 isa diagrammatic elevation illustrating the speed-changing friction gearing ofthis mechanism.

Figure 10 is a plan View of the yoke`forming part ofthe means for shifting the transmission friction rolls.

Figure 11 is al plan view of the transmission roll holder combined with the transmission rolls and part of the means for shifting`the latter. l

igures 12 and 13 are, respectively, an elevation and a plan View of another form of.

machine embodying essentially the same invention, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Figure 14 is an elevation of a modification of the mechanism-shown in Figure 5 adapted to operate an electric control.

Like reference characters desi nate the same parts wherever they occur 1n all the Iigures. l

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive` "15 vrepresents the frame of a continuous wiradrawing machine having threedies and hreeV drawing drums. The`irst and second tively, are mounted 'ideby side in-'a hol e1: 18 and the third die is -fmounted "on a holder 20. The first fd umris 'h wn fat 21, the :second at 22, and

'the third t e latterbeing the finishing I side walls of the frame 15.

delivery to the drum 22 would hold back the mission sha 41,on which/shaft'thre is also drum and constructed to hold an accumulation of wire. The course of the wire is from a reel or other suitable holderv (not shown) throughthe die 16 and over and around the` drum 21 'in a sufficient number of wraps to 70 give the required tension, then under 'and around a guide roll 24 which is mounted on a bracket 25 at the adjacent end of the machine, then through die 17 and around the drum 22', then through the die 19 and to the finishing drum 23. fw represents the wire in Figures 1 and 2, and the arrows there: ap-

.plied indicate the course of its travel. A

drum 26 beside the drum 22 is provided for use, according to usual practice, when first threading the wir`e through the dies.

The drums 21, 22, and -26 are mounted on the same axis, all being supported by a shaft 27 which turns in suitable bearings in the Drum 26 is secured directly to this shaft, drum 22 is secured toa tubular shaft 28 which surrounds and is adapted to turn on the shaft 27, and drum-21 is secured to a tubular. shaft 29 which surrounds and is adapted to turn on the tubular shaft 28. For convenience of description the tubular shafts 28 and 29 will generally be called quills in this specili- CallilOIl.. c I

The drive for thedrums last particularly described comprises a shaft-30 having beal'- ings at 31 and 32, which shaft is rotated by a belt pulley or any .other suitable means, not shown.' On this shaft is mounted a pinion 33 in mesh with a large gear 34, fixed to the shaft 27. Gear 34 is also a' planet gear carrier and is provided with one or more Ustuds 35 (three being shown in this drawing) on each of which is mounted a, planet -multaneously with a sun gear 37 fast on the inner quill 28 and with an internal annular gear 38 'fast 'on the outer quill 29.

This planetary gearing permits the drums 21 and 22 t0 adiust themselves as to their respective speeds automatically to the tension and rate of delivery ofthe wire. Thus, for example, if the elongation of the wire in the second die should diminish, its lower rate of drum, which would cause the drum 21 to be driven at a rate ,of speed relatively faster until a balance is reached in which the wire vis drawn through the first die and delivered to thesecond die at the rate called for by the second drum.l Thus slipping 4of the wire is eliminated as a necessity or possibility'in this part of the machine.

l For driving the third or finishing drum, the following mechanism is provided, which mechanism is additionally illustrated onenlarged'scales in Figures 5 to 11. ,The main shaft 30 carries av .bevel pinion' 39 infmsh wit-h a com lemental pinion 40. on a transso raedern secured a bevel pinion 42 in mesh with a complemental pinion 43 which is loosel mounted on an upright shaft 44, said sha t having bearings in a bracket 45 and in the cover plate or top wall of the machine.

A collar 46 is made fast by akey or otherwise to the shaft 44and is connected by a spring 47 with the gear 43, said spring' being so arranged that it transmits the driving torque of the gear to the shaft in a yielding manner which permits the gear to run ahead of the shaft when the load on the latter increases, in proportion to the increase of load, andcauses the shaft to follow with an increase of speed when the load diminishes.

An annular cam or wedge 48 surrounds the hub of gear 43 and is secured thereto with provision for angular adjustment by a set screw 49. This annular wedge is shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7 and as there shown 4, is provided with two oppositely arranged and equally inclined wedge abutments 5U and 5l.

A sleeve 52 is keyed or splined to the shaft 44 so that it must rotate with the shalt but is capable of moving endwise thereon, and such sleeve surrounds the spring 47 and extends close to ther wedge 48., having inclined surfaces 53 complemental to the wedge abutments of the latter. By means yof these inclined surfaces, when the gear 43 runs ahead ot the shaft 44, sleeve52 is raised along the shaft, and when the spring turns the shaft faster than the gear, said sleeve descends under the. weight of the superposed parts, or by the pressure of asuitably arranged spring4 which may be provided if necessary.

Sleeve 52 is coupled, by means ot ajswivel coupling 54,- with a yoke/55 mounted slidingly on the shaft 44 but prevented lfrom rotatiner with-the shaft by means of an anchor link 56,-(Figure 10) which is hinged at one end 'to the yoke and atthe other end to a bracket 57 ixed to a convenient adjacent part of the machine frame. Any sort of swivel coupling may be provided at 54 which is adapted to transmit endwise movement from the sleeve to the yoke but permits the sleeve to rotate without turning the yoke. The coupling here 'shown lis internally threaded at its upper end and screwed upon a sleeve 58 which rotates on a bushing 59 secured in the hub of the yoke and is retained by a lip or shoulderv 6() on. the end of said bushing. j

A friction driving disk' 6l is keyed on' shaft 44 and a similar complemental opposed friction disk 62 is mounted in a slidable manner on the hub of apinion 63 which is adapted to turn about the shaft, and between which'and the upper bearing of the shaft is, interposed a'ball thrust bearing 64.' Adjusting and lock nuts 65, 66 threaded on the hub or pinion 63 enable the disk 62 to of the shaft, but there may be more or fewer, it desired. Each of these rolls is mounted rotatably between ythe jaws "of a holder 68 which is adapted to turn about a horizontal axis at rightangles to the axis of the roll in a, bearing 69 on a carrier 70.

Said carrier surrounds the shaft 44 and is madefast to the frame by an arm 71, or other convenient means, so that it cannot rotate. Each roll holder is provided with an arm 72 connected by a link 73`with an adjacent part of vthe yoke 55. The arms 72 of the respective'transmission rolls and the links-'73 connected thereto are so proportioned and arranged that' endwise movement 'or the yoke 55 on the shaft gives equal oscillative movement of the same character simultaneously toall of the transmission rolls..` rlihese rolls are arranged with their axes. radial to the disks 6l and 62 and their rims in contact with runways 7 4 in the adjacent faces of the disks. Said runways are concentric with the shaft 44 and are concave radially to the shaft with a radius of curvature equal to the radius of the trans- Sli mission rolls.- Hence 'the oscillative movement given to the transmission rolls causes their points of contact with the two disks to be shifted oppositely, whereby the radius of the vline or path Vof contact on one disk is lengthened and on the other disk is shortene ico rllhese displacements are/ .diagrarnmati-'` cally shown in Figure/ 9. When the mid plane of the roll occupies the position designated by the line -a of that -gure, being parallel to the shaft 44, disk 62 is driven at the same speed asv 61; but when this plane is shifted to the position b--b, disk 62 is driven slower; and when shifted to the position `G---c disk 62 i'sdriven faster than 61. Rise ot the sleeve 52,-transmitted through the connections just described, turns the` transmission rolls in the direction from position c--c to Vposition b-b, while descent of the said parts has the opposite edect.

Pinion 63 drives the finishingdrum 23 through an idler gear 7 5"'and a gear v76 fixed to the Shaft of said drum. i

lin operation the;.wed,qe 48- is so adjusted that when the wire passing to the drum 23 is under normal tension. the transmission rolls 67 will'be in the mid position. Then, so long. as the tension remains of the predetermined degree the finishing' drum rotates at constant speed. It, however, the tension in the 'wire' shouldv become greater,

lill

the additional load imposed on the shaft thereby causes the Ashaftto lagr and the wedge cam to beturned relatively to the cam follower 52, which causes thefollower;

and the yoke, or roll controller, to be raised and the rolls to be turned to a position where the disk 62 is driven at a reduced speed. Eventually a speed is reached at which the take up of the drum equals the 41, gears 42, 43, 'wedge cam 48 and follower 52 are substantially the same as already described, but the follower, instead ofv controlling a friction transmission, controls the contact arm or coupler 77 of a rheostat over the contact buttons 78. The short arm of a lever of which 77 is the long `arm occupies a groove 79 in the cam follower'and is raised or lowered by the movement of the' latter. Thel rheostat controls'the amount of current delivered 'to an electric motorv which is mechanically connected to drive the finishing drum.

Figures 12 and 13 show a machine which is like in principle to that first described,

but different in detail in its accommodation;

to a tandem arrangement o fdies and drums.

Here the first, second and third dies are designated '81, 82 and 83, respectively, and the corresponding drumsl 84, 85 and 86, respectively, all' arranged in tandem on separate parallel shafts 87, 88 and 89 driven by bevel gearing from'a main shaft 90. The drive' for the first drum is direct through the ars 91 and 92, but for the following drums 1s effected through gears 93 and 94 and a friction transmission consisting of a disk 95, like the disk 61, fast to the gear 94, and a disk 96, like the disk 62, fast to the shaft 88, in the one case, and 89 in the other. A transmission roll 97, inter osed between the frictio'n disks, is mounte in a holder 98 adapted to rock. in a bearing 99 secured to the frame. The wireY in passing from each preceding ldrum to the next in the series extends around guiderolls 100 and, 101, the latter delivering the wire in the line of lthe next die, and the former being carried on a,

rock. arm 102 which is p'ivoted'at its lower' lend to a bracket 103 on the base of the frame. A coupling .link'l'104 extends from the upper part of the rock arm -102 to an arm 105 on the transmission roll holder.

Increased tension of the wire causes dis' placement of the roll 100 in that direction "which causes rocking` of the transmission -stores itwhen the tension of the wire relaxes.

rollin'the manner to reduce the speed of the driven drum., A suitably Varranged spring 107 applied to the varm 102 opposes such -displacement of the guide roll and re#v In this s ecification the descriptive terms used have en chosen for their aptness to the particular embodimentsof the invention illustrated, but not withintent to limit the" pose, function and eflect of the arts which they designate rather than wit reference to the particular form or construction of such parts. 'With'special reference to the planetary gearing shown in Figures l to 4, it may be observed that such gearingis a differential mechanism and it may have other specific forms than that shown in said figures. The internal gear 38, although it surrounds the planet gears, is essentially a sun gear equivalent in function and effect to the sun gear 37, and may be so called for the purpose of generic definition.

What I lclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. In a continuous wire drawing machine, a source of power, two dies arranged in se- `ries, two drums each of which is arranged to draw 4wire through one of said dies, differential earing connected with said two drums an the source of power, respectively, i a third die, a third drum to draw the wire through said third die, a .yielding connection .between the source of power and said third drum, and means operated in consevquence of the` relative movement of said yielding connection for regulating the speed:

fof said third drum, whereby to^prevent slip "of the wire on Ithefirst two drums.

2. In a continuous w1re drawing/machine,

a source of power, two dies arranged in series,`two drums mounted'to draw'wire, each through one of said dies, differential gearing connected to said drums and the source of power for driving the drums, a third die to which wireis delivered from the second in series of the first ,two drums,-a third drum around which the wire assingV from said third die is wrapped, saidJ third drum being yieldingly connected to the source'of power, and means arranged and operative to causeqthe -stress `on the wire drawn through the third die to adapt the'speed of the third drum to the tension and rate of delivery of the wire thereto.

3. In a wire drawing machine, a source of power, a die, a drum around *which wire passing through said die is wrapped, a

source of power and the drum, adapted to permit lagging of the drumwith increase in the tension of the wire, means controlled by yielding transmission means between the aecomo a source of power, of speed regulating mechanism for the drum comprising a cam element driven by` the source of power, a shaft coupled to the drinn and movable about its axis independently of said cam element, a spring interposed 4between the cam element and shaft for transmitting motion yieldingly. from the former to the latter, a cam follower rotatable with said shaft but otherwise dsplaceable thereon arranged t0 be displaced by and in consequence of relative movement between the shaft and cam element, and speed `varying mechanism for 'the drum connected for operation by dis lower rotatable with said shaft but otheryas wise displaceable thereon arranged to be displaced by and in consequenceof relative between the shaft and cam element, and speed varying mechanism for the drum connected for operation by displacement of said follower, said cam element being. adjustable to vary the tension of said spring.

6. A wire drawing machine. comprising a series of dies and drawing drums alternating with one another through and around which., respectively, the wire -is passed, differential planetary driving mechanism for the first two drums of the series consisting of a sun gear coupled with one of Ysaid. drums, a second sun gear coupled with the other of said drums, and a planet pinion in mesh with both the aforesaid gears and power driven in its orbit, driving means for the third drum of the series including spaced apart disks and a'transmission roll between and in frictional contact at its rim with said disks, and-means controlled by the tension of the wire passing to the third drum for so inclining said roll as to shift its point of contact with one of the disks nearer to the axis of that disk and its point of contact with the other diskfarther from the axis of the last named disk, whereby to vary the speed of said third drum in proportion/"t6` a change 1n the rate of delivery of the wire thereto.

7. ln a continuous wire drawingr machine,

a plurality of drawing drums around which the wire is wrapped in vanceof each drum, a differential planetary mechanism coupled with the first two drums `of thel series, whereby the speeds of said verned by the relative motion of vdrum, a driving shaft, two

'said disks having runways in series, a die 1n ad`` drums are automatically regulated in proportion to the tension and rate of delivery of the wire passing to said drums, respectively, a power driven mechanism for a following drum of the series including a .spring .transmission member adapted to yield with increase in the tension of the wire passing to said drum and to advance the drum upon lessening of. said tension,

the spring connected parts of said driving mechanism for controlling the rate of speed drum.

8. ln a continuouswire drawing machine having more than two drums and as many of. said 'Ill and means gove dies, arranged one in advance of each drum.,

power means including a differential mechanism applied to driv'e two of said drums, yielding power` transmission mechanism drivingr the third drum, and means operated by the yielding of said mechanism for governing; the speed of said third drum.

9. lln a wire drawing machine, a drawing drum., a driving shaft, .two disks eoaxially mounted on said shaft, one of which is -fixed to the shaft and the other is loose thereon and is geared to the drum, a friction transmission roll mounted between said'disks and in contact at its periphery with the opposed faces of the disks, a holder 'for said transmission rollarranged to permit inclination of the plane of said roll ,to different angles with the axis of the shaft', a power actuated driver for the shaft, a spring interposed between said driver and the shaft for'transmitting force tothe latter, and connections operated by relative motion between said driver and the shaft for altering the angle between the plane of said roll and the shaft. f

10. ln a wire drawing machine., a drawing disks coaxially mounted on said shaft, one of which isxed to the shaft and the other -is loose thereon and is geared to the drum, a, friction trains-p mission roll mounted between said disks and in contact at its periphery with the opposed faces of the disks, a holder for said transmission roll arranged to permit inclination of the plane of said roll to diderent angles with the axis of the shaft, a power actuated driver for-the shaft, a spring interposed bea wire izo drum

lili@ pendently thereof, a spring connecting saiddriver and shaft with provision for yieldingl resistinv movement of the former rela.;

, tive y to the latter, a cam or wedge member connected with the driver, a lfollower complemental to said cam arranged to be displaced by the latter in consequence of! rela? tive movement between the driver and shaft, and means by which the displacement of said follower causes variation in the speed of rotation imparted to the drum.

'12. A wire drawing machine comprising drums arranged in series adapted to receive windings of wire and to draw the wire, a'

part.`

13. In a continuous wire .drawing machine having a plurality of dies, and va pluralit' of drums, arranged- 1n series, means for riving a subsequent drum ofthe series chine,

including disks independently rotatable on the same axis and spaced apart,'/a transmission roll between and in frictional contact with the disks, and means controlled by the .tension of the wire in passin tosaid subse ine the roll in quent drum operative to inc such manner that its oint of engagement with one of the disks 1s shifted toward the axis and its point ofengagment with the other of the disks is shifted away from the axis. 1

, 14. In a continuous ywire drawing inaa plurality of drawing drums around which the Hwire is wrapped in series, a die arranged for the wire to pass through it in its course to each drum, a variable speed friction drive for a subse uent drum of the series, said drive comprising friction disks in parallel planes, one of which is connected with said subsequent drum and the other is preceding drum effects s uch an adjustmentv of the transmission roll. i 15. In a continuous wire drawing machine, a drum about which the wire is' wrapped and by which it is drawn, a die through which the wire is drawn in passing to said drum, approximately coaxial frictional driving disks arranged in parallel p lznes, one of which is coupled to the drum, an

transmission roll between and in contact with both said disks, said transmission roll axes and being shiftable about an axis per-` pendicular to such plane to increase" the speed ratio of the mechanism, and means controlled by the tension of the wire passing to said die for shifting said transmission member.

` 16. In a wire drawing machine, drum, a driving shaft, two' disks coaxially fan intermediate frictionally 'acting a drawing l mounted on said shaft, one of which' is fixed thereto and the other is loose thereon and isy coupled to the drum, a friction transmission roll mounted between said disks and in contact at its periphery with the opposed faces of the disks, a h older for suchtran'sl' mission roll arranged-to permitinclination of the plane of said roll to different angles with the planes of the disks, and means controlled by the tension of the wire passing' to said drum and operative to move said holder so as to alter'the inclination of the roll when a variation in such tensiori occurs.

lIn testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature.

JAMES A. Hoi'rroam 

